Decorative hanging lamp with adjustable shade

ABSTRACT

A lamp hanging from a chain or the like has a tube depending from the chain, electric bulb means supported medially of the tube, and a series of slats made of wood or the like of generally semicircular shapes, having their ends secured to upper and lower portions of the tube. The slats are pivotal to various adjusted positions for decorative effects, the decorative effects also being influenced by having slats in the series contrast in appearance.

United States Patent Richard A. Link Box 211, Jackson, Wyo. 83001826,560

May 21, 1969 Aug. 10, 1971 Inventor Appl No Filed Patented DECORATIVEHANGING LAMP WITH ADJUSTABLE SHADE 15 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 240/1011, 240/36, 240/108 lnt.C1...,w F21p 1/02, F21v 1/00 Fieldof Search 240/108, 10, 36;161/13,14,16,17

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,972,674 2/1961 de Sentrnenat240/108 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,137,031 1/1957 France Primary Examiner-Samuel S. Matthews Assistant Examiner1(enneth C Hutchison AttorneyDuaneC Bowen ABSTRACT: A lamp hanging from a chain or the like has a tubedepending from the chain, electric bulb means supported medially 0f thebe, and a series of slats made of wood or the like of generallysemicircular shapes, having their ends secured to upper and lowerportions of the tube. The slats are pivotal to various adjustedpositions for decorative effects, the decorative effects also beinginfluenced by having slats in the series contrast in appearance.

PATENTEDAUBIOISTI 3,598,988

SHEET 1 OF 3 INVENTOR.

RICHARD A. LINK ATTORNEY PATENTED we 1 0 mn SHEET 2 OF 3 INVENTOR,RICHARD A. LINK film 6f ATTORNEY PATENTED Am; 1 019m sum 3 0F 3 O G FINVENTOR.

RICHARD A. LINK F/GQ ATTORNEY DECORATIVE HANGING LAMP WITH ADJUSTABLESHADE BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION My invention relates to a lamphaving both lighting and decorative functions, and, more particularly,to a lamp having a series of pivotally adjustable slats of semicircularshapes and varying in decorative effect depending on adjustment of slatpositions and also, optionally, depending on use of contrastingappearances in the slats of the series.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND OBJECTIVES One type of electric lamp hasas much (or more) a purpose in decorative appearance or lighting effectas a lighting func tion per se. For example, a chandelier is anexpensive form of lighting fixture if the desire is primarily lightingefficiency rather than primarily decoration or aesthetic lightingeffect. It is an objective of my invention to make a lamp which isprimarily decorative in lamp body or lighting effect rather than beingoriented primarily toward lighting efficiency or economy.

There are many decorative lamps on the market, and, to some extent,these match the interior and/or exterior design of dwellings or otherfacilities. For example, a lamp featuring maple wood might be associatedwith Early American design and might fit an interior and/or exterior ofa house of Early American design. It is an objective of my invention todesign a lamp of modern design and especially one that features naturalwood grain for use in compatible environments. It is a further objectiveof my invention to make a lamp particularly adapted for hanging fromrather high ceilings or other location where quantity of lighting is notof special importance, i.e., an entrance hall light. v

It is an additional objective of my invention to make a hanging light ofadjustable decorative effect to adapt to the decorative choice of themanufacturer, seller and/or user or which may be adjusted from time totime for different effect or which may be adjusted to light intensitydesired in the installation, etc. Further objectives of my inventioninclude to make a lamp of reasonable cost to manufacture, of readyadjustment, and of durable construction.

Further advantages and objectives of my invention will be understoodfrom the following description, read with reference to the drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a lamp forming a specific embodiment of myinvention, and having the slats thereof disposed in a single bankposition.

FIG. 2 is a view, partly in section, taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view, primarily in section, taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view ofa single slat.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross section taken on line 55 ofFIG. 4.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are side and bottom views, respectively, of related lampforms with the sluts in positions different than FIG. I.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are side and bottom views, respectively, of related lampforms featuring another type ofadjusted position of the lamp slats.

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the lamp with the slats in a furtheradjusted position.

Lamp 10 depends from preferably a flexible support such as a chain 12which is accompanied by an interwoven electrical conductor 14, both wellknown in the art. Considering the lamp assembly of tube (actually anupper section and a lower section 21); incandescent bulbs 22, sockets24, bent arms 26 and central connector 28; and end members 30'and 32,members 22-32 are standard lamp parts which can be bought from stock andwhich will not be detailed in construction for that reason. They areadapted to be secured together usually by threaded connection, or evenby soldering, etc., in various orders of assembly along with selectionsfrom other alternative or additional standard lamp parts. The designelection here was not the above basic parts but to decide to depend atube from chain 12, to secure incandescent bulbs medially (andsymmetrically) of the tube 20, 21, and to select and arrange partsadapted to support pivotal slats.

Tubes 20, 21 pivotally support a series of slats 40. Slats 40 have endopenings 42 in which upper and lower tube portions 20, 21 are disposedwith the ends of slats 40 lapping and retained thereon by abutmentscomprising, respectively, upper loop member 30 and a nut 44 (and washer46) threadedly connected to tube 20, and lower end disc 32 and a nut 48(and washer 50) threadedly connected to tube 21.

Slats 40 are of generally semicircular curvatures, the semicircularshapes being in the direction of minimum thickness (the shaping being inthe direction of cross section minor axis or, to put the matterdifferently, curvature about the cross-sectional major axis). It will beevident the slats 40 are arranged in series according to size with theradii of curvatures increasing from inside to outside of the series.This doesnt mean, for purpose of specification and claims, that theslats are precisely semicircular or that the slats nest in full abutmentwith exact circular mathematical and geometrical relationships. Thedescription instead means the slats are generally semicircular (or thenormal contour of bent slats) and the sizes are serially such as topermit nesting and clearing for pivotal adjustment, and the expressionsemicircular is meant merely to be generic to return curves whether theyare in truth parabolic, hyperbolic, elliptical, or free curves ofnonmathematical shapes. In one configuration avoidance of pivotalinterference of slats in their central portions occurred by theinnermost slats being medially a bit flatter than semicircular and bythe outermost slats being medially more generously curved thansemicircular. Some such allowance should be made for minor slat warping,particularly if wood slats are used. To an extent the shape of the slatsin use is controlled by design (length of slat v. distance betweenpivotal locations), to an extent the shape of the slats is influenced bytheir abutment, and to an extent the shape is influenced by the naturalbending shape of the slats. The slats usually will be normally straightwhen unrestrained rather than being normally semicircular, i.e., this isnot an especially important consideration, but it is simply that theslats usually will be made out of flat stock.

Slats 40 could be made of various materials, such as plastic, paper,metal, etc., but I prefer to make the slats of wood. FIG. 5 indicatestwo thin laminant strips 60, 62 of wood bonded together with a suitableadhesive at 64 at abutting faces.

The expression slats seems to well describe the strips 40 as to relativethickness-width-length. Considering the width of slats 40 versus the 360circumference of the lamp body, 24 slats (which can be arranged tosubstantially or completely .encircle bulbs 22, i.e., FIGS. 6 and 7)would be typical. It is thought that even in designs of maximum spacing,i.e., FIG. 9 has nine slat clock positions," six to eight slats would bea rockbottom minimum to get at all a desired aesthetic effect. To putthis another way, the slat width usually will represent something like15' of the 360 circumference (in the horizontal, medial plane) and 30would be a maximum for the desired aesthetic effect. To give some ideasof scale, a typical height of the lamp between members 30 and 32 wouldbe around [5 inches.

FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are shaded to indicate alternating shades or colors.It will be understood all the slats could be thesame shape and color(and FIG. l0'is used'to represent that condition). Of course more thantwo colors or shades could be used or two or more colors orshades couldbe used in arandom manner. A pleasing effect is obtained in wood byalternating lighter and darker woods. Note in FIG. 10 if alternatingdark and light woods were used, the upper portion as viewed would be onewood shade and the lower portion would be a second wood shade.

As stated before, the slats have some pivotal adjustment. The adjustmentcan be made in the factory, or the adjustment can be made by theultimate consumer one or more times, or the retailer could make theadjustment. The configurations of (a) FIGS. l-3, (b) FIGS. 67, (c) FIGS.89, and (cl) FIG. are the principal forms which will be sold.

FIGS. 13 show a nonsymmetrical arrangement with the slats in a bank (anarrangement that can be varied by fanning).

FIGS. 6 and 7 is an arrangement in which lapped slats are arrangedserially in order of size from smallest at 70 to largest at 72. This isthought to be a form of conch shape. A gap at 74 will leave an area offree light transmittal. Of course usually there will be substantiallight transmission through cracks between slats. The slat configurationswill influence the amount of illumination as long as opaque slatmaterials are used, as is demonstrated in these various Figures.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are representative of clocked slat positions. FIG. 8 showsineach clock position a group of slats in that location in sizes rangingfrom smaller to larger radius slats. As viewed, FIG. 9 could be the sameas FIG. 8 or, with lesser number'of slats, could be merely clocking andrandom sizes. Some fanning could also be used in the FIG. 8configuration.

FIG. 10 is an interesting variation in which a group of lapped slats at80 are opposed to a group of lapped slats at 82. The intent is toalternate slats in the series of sizes of slats, between groups 80 and82 so they are substantially the same, whereby slats of smaller andlarger radii of curvatures are substantially evenly divided in the twogroups.

Having thus described my invention, I do not wish to be understood aslimiting myself to the precise disclosure but instead wish to covermodifications thereof which will occur to those skilled in the art uponlearning of my invention, and which properly fall within the scope of myinvention.

Iclaim:

l. The improvement in a lamp hanging from a support member includingelectrical wire means connecting to electrical bulb means in the lamp,comprising:

a. an upright member, said bulb means being supported medially of saidupright member, said upright member depending from said support memberwhich is attached to the upper end of said upright member b. a series ofat least six slats forming shades, said slats being of generallysemicircular shapes, the semicircular curvatures being in the directionof the minimum thickness dimensions of the slats, the slats having theirends lapping in series and the radii of curvatures of said slatsincreasing from inside to outside of the series, said slats having.aligned openings in their lapped ends and said upright member havingupper and lower portions extending through said openings and includingmeans securing the slats in end-lapped positions and securing said slatsto said upright member c. said upright member being tubular and havingabutments on each side of the lapped slat ends and said support memberincluding a flexible tension member such as a chain or the like.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 in which said slats are normallystraight and are bent into curved dispositions.

3. The subject matter of claim 2 in which each slat is formed from twostrips of wood whose faces are bonded together.

4. The subject matter of claim 1 in which said slats are formed of woodand said wood is of a lighter and a darker shade which are alternated inthe series for decorative effect.

5. The subject matter of claim 1 in which there are at least one dozenslats.

6. The subject matter of claim 1 in which said slats are pivotallyadjustable about said upright member as an axis.

7. The subject matter of claim 6 in which various slats in said seriescontrast in appearance for decorative effect.

8. The subject matter of claim 7 in which the contrast in appearance isbetween lighter and darker woods.

9. The subject matter of claim 1 in which said slats are arranged in aseries of groups symmetrical about said upright member and mediallyspaced apart, each group having it least one larger radius slat selectedfrom slats of larger radii of curvature and at least one smaller radiusslat selected from slats of smaller radii of curvature.

10. The subject matter of claim 1 in which the slats are arranged evenlyspaced around said upright member and in a series from smaller to largerradii of curvature.

11. The subject matter of claim 10 in which side margins of adjacentslats are lapped.

12. The subject matter of claim 1 in which the slats are arranged evenlymedially spaced apart around said upright member and in a series inwhich the order of smaller to larger radii of curvatures are mixed.

13. The subject matter of claim I in which the slats are arrangednonsymmetrically relative to said upright member.

14. The subject matter of claim 1 in which the slats are arranged in twoopposed groups in which slats within each group are more closelymedially spaced than the spacing between the groups and in which slatsof smaller and larger radii of curvatures are substantially evenlydivided in the two groups.

15. The subject matter of claim 14 in which side margins of adjacentslats within each group are lapped.

1. The improvement in a lamp hanging from a support member includingelectrical wire means connecting to electrical bulb means in the lamp,comprising: a. an upright member, said bulb means being supportedmedially of said upright member, said upright member depending from saidsupport member which is attached to the upper end of said upright memberb. a series of at least six slats forming shades, said slats being ofgenerally semicircular shapes, the semicircular curvatures being in thedirection of the minimum thickness dimensions of the slats, the slatshaving their ends lapping in series and the radii of curvatures of saidslats increasing from inside to outside of the series, said slats havingaligned openings in their lapped ends and said upright member havingupper and lower portions extending through said openings and includingmeans securing the slats in end-lapped positions and securing said slatsto said upright member c. said upright member being tubular and havingabutments on each side of the lapped slat ends and said support memberincluding a flexible tension member such as a chain or the like.
 2. Thesubject matter of claim 1 in which said slats are normally straight andare bent into curved dispositions.
 3. The subject matter of claim 2 inwhich each slat is formed from two strips of wood whose faces are bondedtogether.
 4. The subject matter of claim 1 in which said slats areformed of wood and said wood is of a lighter and a darker shade whichare alternated in the series for decorative effect.
 5. The subjectmatter of claim 1 in which there are at least one dozen slats.
 6. Thesubject matter of claim 1 in which said slats are pivotally adjustableabout said upright member as an axis.
 7. The subject matter of claim 6in which various slats in said series contrast in appearance fordecorative effect.
 8. The subject matter of claim 7 in which thecontrast in appearance is between lighter and darker woods.
 9. Thesubject matter of claim 1 in which said slats are arranged in a seriesof groups symmetrical about said upright member and medially spacedapart, each group having it least one larger radius slat selected fromslats of larger radii of curvature and at least one smaller radius slatselected from slats of smaller radii of curvature.
 10. The subjectmatter of claim 1 in which the slats are arranged evenly spaced aroundsaid upright member and in a series from smaller to larger radii ofcurvature.
 11. The subject matter of claim 10 in which side margins ofadjacent slats are lapped.
 12. The subject matter of claim 1 in whichthe slats are arranged evenly medially spaced apart around said uprightmember and in a series in which the order of smaller to larger radii ofcurvatures are mixed.
 13. The subject matter of claim 1 in which theslats are arranged nonsymmetrically relative to said upright member. 14.The subject matter of claim 1 in which the slats are arranged in twoopposed groups in which slats within each group are more closelymedially spaced than the spacing between the groups and in which slatsof smaller and larger radii of curvatures are substantially evenlydivided in the two groups.
 15. The subject matter of claim 14 in whichside margins of adjacent slats within each group are lapped.